Amputated leg pulled from auction
18 May 2006
BY DANIEL NIELSEN
He's not pulling your leg - Nelson man Shane Torrance is trying to sell the limb he had amputated 15 months ago.
He hopes the $3000 reserve price will cover his debts and raise money for his daughter who has diabetes - the condition that prompted the need for his leg to be removed.
But Mr Torrance is striking hurdles.
The tattooed leg, which he keeps in his freezer, was withdrawn from the Trade Me website within hours of being listed.
Trade Me business manager Mike O'Donnell said sale of body parts was not allowed on the site, mainly because it was distasteful.
It was not the first time someone had tried to sell a body part on the website but Mr O'Donnell said he was still shocked by Mr Torrance's offer.
"No matter what we see on Trade Me, we continue to be surprised daily."
The leg was viewed by 20 people but no bids had been placed before it was withdrawn at 9am yesterday. The leg sports a tattoo of an open book which Mr Torrance said symbolised emotional blackmail from his time being "locked up".
Mr Torrance said he still intended to sell the leg despite the Trade Me setback, and was looking for other websites to list it on. He is also unfazed by the possibility that selling his leg could be illegal.
Nelson Bays police area commander Inspector Brian McGurk said police would be looking at the legalities of Mr Torrance's actions.
"There's probably a significant public interest factor in this matter to scope out the possibility of it being an offence under the Crimes Act or the Human Tissues Act."
Mr Torrance, 42, was diagnosed with type one diabetes when he was 20 and had developed ulcers on his right leg. It was amputated below the knee last February.
He was unsure why he kept the leg.
"Maybe it's because I'd had it for 42 years."
Mr Torrance said he still felt as if the leg was there, especially after walking or sitting still for a long time.
He is a certified interior painter but has been unable to work since the amputation and is on an invalid's benefit.
He was eager to get back to work but the doctors told him it would be 18 months before his stump stopped shrinking, he said.
